"Let Teenagers Try Adulthood" 'A'

In “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood,” Leon Botstein suggests that the education system begin at an earlier age than it is currently. He rather’s, in place of kindergarten, to start 4 and 5 year olds in elementary school; thus, causing students to graduate and enter into “adulthood” at an earlier age. His reasoning is based on the fact that young teenagers are already being introduced to information and activities that society assumes for “adulthood;” hence, adult-like activities can no longer be assumed as reserved for adults because young children are exposed to the same activities. The education system and its age implications were based off of the certain generational developments and it maturity levels at the said ages. Currently, in the year 2009, these new and uprising generations are in fact developing and maturing faster than had previous generations before them. The education system should be adjusted to conform to children’s new developmental habits. In the current system, we are hindering students development by forcing it to adhere to older stigmas of age. We should, however, let the students developmental and maturity rate adhere to a new set of standards. Yes, there are many children and teens who disprove this notion that rising generations are more mature. But are these immaturities a result of their own internal development, or a result of an out dated age specified education system? If the system were sped up, and lets say 16 year olds graduated High school and entered in to college, then students would then adapt to these new standards that society has placed on them. This new method of speeding up the education process would successfully adhere to student’s natural developmental rate and they would no longer be hindered by the current misguided specification of at what age children naturally develop habits exemplifying their maturity level.